Narrow band imaging reveals field cancerisation undetected by conventional white light: Optical diagnosis versus histopathology

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveTo assess whether narrow band imaging (NBI) detects fields of cancerisation around suspicious lesions in the upper aerodigestive tract, which were undetected by white light imaging (WLI).MethodsIn 96 patients with laryngeal and pharyngeal lesions suspicious for malignancy, 206 biopsies were taken during laryngoscopy: 96 biopsies of suspicious lesions detected by both WLI and NBI (WLI+/NBI+), 60 biopsies adjacent mucosa only suspicious with NBI (WLI‐/NBI+), and 46 biopsies of NBI and WLI unsuspicious mucosa (WLI‐/NBI‐) as negative controls. Optical diagnosis according to the Ni‐classification was compared with histopathology.ResultsSigns of (pre)malignancy were found in 88% of WLI+/NBI+ biopsies, 32% of WLI‐/NBI+ biopsies and 0% in WLI‐/NBI‐ (p < .001). In 58% of the WLI‐/NBI+ mucosa any form of dysplasia or carcinoma was detected.ConclusionThe use of additional NBI led to the detection of (pre)malignancy in 32% of the cases, that would have otherwise remained undetected with WLI alone. This highlights the potential of NBI as a valuable adjunct to WLI in the identification of suspicious lesions in the upper aerodigestive tract.